Means for attaching bottle-closures.



' s. J. c. WILKINSON;

MEANS FOR ATTAOHING BOTTLE OLOSURES.

AIPLIOATIOH FILED APB. 21. 1909.

965,784. r 'Patented July 26,1910.

STATES ATE NT OFFICE.

SYDNEY JOSEPH CROW'I'I-IER WILKINSON, OF JOI'I ANNESBURG, TRANSVAAL.

MEANS FOR ATTACHING BOTTLE-CLOSURES.

eeavsa.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SYDNEY JOSEPH Crow- TIIER WILKINSON, merchant, subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at National Mutual Buildings, Rissik street, J ohannesburg, Transvaal, have invented new and useful Improvements in Means for Attaching Bottle-Closures, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to bottle closures of the screw stopper type. Such closures are intended to be replaced in the bottle after the latter has been emptied; but, as a matter of fact, they are very frequently lost or misappropriated, entailing in the ag gregate considerable cost to the bottlers in replacing them.

It is the purpose of the present invention to provide a simple, inexpensive and convenient device for attaching the stopper to the bottle, which does not interfere with many of the well known bottling operations and which is readily attached or detached when required, as c. g., for certain special bottling operations, or otherwise.

The invention practically embodied in the preferred form shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure I shows it assembled upon the bot tle, with the stopper in place, Fig. 11 is a view showing the device from the side, when the bottle is being emptied, Fig. 111 is a view of the stopper and ring detached, and Fig. IV a view of the clip detached, such last named parts being described hereunder.

The device is preferably formed of resilient wire and is composed of a ring 1 and a clip 2. Said ring is split at 3, the joint being so disposed as to appear obliquely upon the face of the ring for a reason that will appear hereafter. The ring engages the stopper at by passing through a hole 5 formed in the latter.

The clip 2 is of a generally arcuate shape, its arc in plan being rather more than half a circle of an interior diameter greater than that of the bottle neck 6 but rather less than that of the collar 7. Such are, as shown terminates in a pair of eyelets 8 turned somewhat upward at the ends, and the ring 1 is passed through said eyelets in the manner shown.

In use, as the stopper t is unscrewed, the whole attaching device rotates with it. The vertical movement of the stopper necessary to disengage it from the bottle is permitted Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 11137 26, 1910.

Application filed April 21, 1909.

Serial No. 491,296.

by the play of the ring 1 within the eyelets 8 and of the clip 2 upon the neck 6. "Upon such disengagement being effected and the bottle being tilted for pouring, the stopper 4 is suspended by the ring 1 clear of the liquid being poured, as shown in Fig. II. The ends of the eyelets 8 areturned upward suffilciently' to permit the ring freely to hang tius.

The ring and stopper. can only fall to the side of the bottle opposite to the eyelets 8, since any considerable movement in the op posite direction is prevented by the extreme lower part of the ring (Fig. I) con tacting with the bottle neck and the part of the ring immediately above making contact with the transverse parts of the eyelets 8. The ring thus pivots about the opposite side of the neck to that on which the stopper falls and the range of movement of the latter laterally from the center of the bottle neck is thus limited to a distance equal to the diameter of the ring less half the diameter of the bottle neclo This is a great advantage as compared with most existing devices of a similar nature. In packing bottles with such existing devices into the usual partitioned shippmg cases, it frequently happens that the stopper and stopper attachment of one bottle projects into the adjacent compartment and are broken off or damaged by the insertion of a bottle into such adjacent compartment. The present invention permits the stopper, when loose, to be kept at all times sufficiently close to its bottle to 0bviate such mischance.

. It will be seen that the ring and clip together completely encircle the neck of the bottle at all times and the ring thus efiectu' ally locks the clip against displacement from the neck laterally, although the width between the cusps of the clip are may be actu ally greater than the diameter of the neck. Moreover, displacement by a vertical pull upon the stopper is obviated owing to the ring then tending to force together the cusps of the clip and thus prevent that expansion of the latter which is necessary for it to pass over the collar 7, and also by the fact that when the ring is disposed vertically it also engages the underside of the collar. The only manner in which the device may be removed is either by disassembling it, which is done by springing the joint 3 of the ring 1 off the eyelets 8, or by so pressing apart the cusps of the clip as to expand it sufliciently to pass over the collar 7 The latter is the method commonly adopted both in putting the device onto the bottle and removing it therefrom. It will be understood from an inspection of the drawings, that the arrangement of the ring joint 3 as shown is such as to render it difficult for the ring to be inadvertently sprung off the clip or the stopper.

What I claim and desire'to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A device for attaching a screw stopper to a bottle including a clip embracing the bottle neck and a circular split member hinged to said clip, to which member the stopper is non-rotatively attached.

2. A device for attaching a screw stopper to a bottle including a clip detachably embracing the bottle neck and circular resilient split member hinged to said clip, to which member the stopper is separably attached.

8. A two part device for attaching a screw stopper to a bottle, consisting of a clip partially encircling the bottle neck, and a member engaging both the stopper and said clip, whereby said clip and member together completely encircle the bottle neck.

4:. A two part device for attaching a screw stopper to a bottle including a clip partially encircling the neck of the bottle and a ring attached to the stopper and engaging the clip so that such parts together completely I encircle the bottle neck.

5. A two part device for attaching a screw stopper to a bottle, including a clip forming more than half a circle of a diameter greater than that of the bottle neck but less than that of the neck collar, and a member to which the stopper is attached, so hinged to said clip as to lock it upon the bottle neck.

6. A device for attaching a screw stopper to a bottle including an arcuate clip terminating in upturned eyelets and a split ring engaged by said eyelets and engaging an aperture in the stopper.

7. A device of the class described comprising in combination with a bottle and a stopper therefor provided with an apertured head, a circular split ring extending through the aperture in the head of said stopper, and a clip connected with said ring and loosely embracing the neck of said bottle.

8. A device of the class described comprising in combination with a bottle and a stopper therefor having an apertured head,

a resilient split ring extending through the aperture of said head, and an arcuate clip loosely embracing the neck of the bottle and provided With portions loosely connected with said ring.

9. A device of the class described, comprising in combination with a bottle and a stopper therefor, a ring attached to the stopper, and an arcuate clip provided with ends for engaging the ring, said ends lying toward one side of the bottle and engaging the ring in such manner as to prevent the ring and stopper from falling to that side.

10. A device of the class described, comprising in combination with a bottle and a stopper therefor, a ring'attached to the stopper, and an arcuate cl1p provided with ends for engaging the ring, said ends including portions extending laterally in plan.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SYDNEY JOSEPH CROWTIIER WILKINSON. lVitnesses WV. HILLMAN VINCENT, lVEsLEY E. JOHN. 

